Can microplastics in food and drinks damage your heart and lungs?

What's actually in it

Every time you eat or drink from plastic packaging, you are likely ingesting tiny plastic particles. These microplastics and nanoplastics come from food containers, water bottles, tea bags, and packaging. They are now so widespread that researchers have detected them in human blood, organs, and tissue.

These particles are not just passing through your body. They are small enough to cross biological barriers and reach your heart, lungs, and other organs. Once there, they can trigger inflammation and interfere with how cells function.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Free Radic Biol Med found that exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces cardiac inflammation. The study showed these particles cause calcium overload in heart cells, triggering a chain reaction that leads to inflammation and potential damage to heart tissue.

The concern extends beyond the heart. A 2026 study in Compr Physiol reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics affect cardio-pulmonary health. The research documents how these particles enter the body from environmental sources, accumulate in organs, and cause damage through oxidative stress and inflammation in both the heart and lungs.

Human exposure is now measurable. A 2026 study in J Hazard Mater quantified microplastics and nanoplastics in human samples, mapping exposure profiles across the population. The study found that these particles are present in the body at levels that raise health concerns, confirming that food and drink are major exposure routes.